Balloon inflator with rotatable valved nozzle



Feb. '13, 1968 D. MARTINO 3,368,302

BALLOON INFLTOR WITH ROTATABLE VALVE NOZZLE Filed May 5, 1965 INVENTORZPO/n Marzi/70 BY I ATRNE 5.

United States Patent O 3,368,302 BALLON INFLATOR WITH ROTATABLE VALVEDNUZZLE Dom Martino, 2 Lawrence Drive, White Plains, N.Y. 10603 Filed May5, 1965, Ser. No. 453,267 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-90) ABSTRACT GF THEDISCLOSURE Apparatus for inflating toy balloons including a source ofair supply, under pressure. A casting joins the outlet of the source tothe inlet of the balloon. The casting has a stern connected to theoutlet with means therein for releasing a supply of air from the source.Another stem on the casting is connected to the inlet of the balloon,the latter stern supporting a nozzle which is connected to the inlet ofthe balloon. A valve in the nozzle controls the ow of air into theballoon.

This invention relates to apparatus for inating inflatable devices suchas toy balloons and the like.

At childrens parties, the children are often given inflated toy balloonsand when there are a large number of children present, the ination ofthese balloons presents quite a problem. With this in mind, a principalobject of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for readilyand conveniently inating toy balloons of Various sizes with plain air orwith a lighter-than-air gas mixture.

A specific object of the invention is to provide apparatus for inating atoy balloon including a conical nozzle adapted to be temporarilyinserted into the iluid intake member of the ,balloon in such a manneras to form a fluid-tight connection therewith during the time theballoon is being inilated.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kindthat is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of inflating apparatus embodying myinvention as it appears while iniiating a toy balloon shown in dot-dashlines, the finger of the operator being shown in dot-dash lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detail perspective View of the nozzle of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the nozzle showing the valve inballoon intlating position.

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the valve in balloon deflatingposition.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5showing the valve in nozzle inating position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 4, on anenlarged scale.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the valve device.

Referring now more in detail to the various views of the drawing, inFIG. l there is shown a balloon inflator indicated generally at 10 inthe act of blowing up a toy balloon 12. The balloon is made of thinstretchable elastic material such as rubber and has an inlet neckportion 13. The apparatus includes a pressurized container 14 con-3,368,302 Patented F elo. 13, 1968 ICC taining plain compressed air or alighter-than-air mixture. The container is cylindrical, of suitablemetal, and may be 4" to 8 in height and approximately 3 in diameter.These dimensions will determine the number of average size balloons,usually 8 in diameter, which may be inflated therefrom, for useprimarily in household family parties. The container has a metal lid orcover 18 with a central opening 20 therein.

A metal casting in the form of an upright hollow cylindrical stem 22 andan integral laterally extending hollow cylindrical stem 24 is seated onthe lid or cover 18 around the opening 20. The stems are approximately3/s in diameter. The upright stem 22 is open at the bottom with anannular bead 26 therearound. The top of the stem 22 is closed with anopening 28 in the center thereof. A plunger in the form of a round rod25 extends through the central opening 28 and through the interior ofthe stem and through the opening 20 in the lid 18 into the interior ofthe container 14 where the bottom end is connected to a ilexible plasticdisc valve 27.

An actuating cap 29 is fixed on the exterior top end of the rod. Thelateral stem 24 communicates with the interior of the stem 22 midway theends of the stem 22 and is closed at its outer end as indicated at 30.An opening 32 is formed in stemI 24 adjacent the closed end 30, andclosely spaced inwardly from the opening 32 an annular discshaped ange34 is formed, which flange is formed with a hole 36.

A conical shaped nozzle 40 of exible plastic material is rotatablymounted on the stem 24 remote from its outer end. The nozzle has aconical shaped body 42 open at its front narrow end and closed at itswide inner end by a flexible diaphragm 44 formed integrally with thebody 42 and having a central opening with a neck portion 46 sleevedaround the stem 24 and in contact with the ilange 34 and sealing theinterior of the body of the nozzle. The wide end of the body isapproximately 1%" in diameter.

A valve device is carried by the nozzle 40 and turns with the nozzlearound the stem 24. The valve device has an elongated tubular taperedbody 52 of metal with a bead 54 around its narrow end, which bead seatsin an annular groove 56 formed in the interior surface of the narrow endof the nozzle 40.

The wide end of the tubular body S2 is closed by a circular plate 58formed integrally with the top half of the body of the tubular body.Plate 58 is formed with a keyhole slot 59. The bottom half of thetubular body tapers downwardly and inwardly on both sides as indicatedat 60, both sides terminating short of the bottom dening a slottedportion 62 in the bottom of the tubular body. The bottom edges of thesides are slightly enlarged as indicated at 64 and grip the sides of thestem 24, as best seen in FIG. 7. A bearing member in the form of acircular plate 68 and curved extension 70 leading from the topperipheral edge of the plate toward the end plate 58 is supported on theinner surfaces of the tapered sides 60. The closed end 30 of the sternbears against the circular plate 68 and the extension 70 thereof, asseen in FIG. 4.

In operation, when it is desired to iniiate the balloon 12, the nozzle40 is turned to the position shown in FIG. 4 wherein the top half of thekeyhole slot 59 is contacting the solid portion of the ange 34 on thestem 24. The plunger 25 is pressed down by the finger of the operator onthe cap 28 forcing the sealing .disc 27 away from the top of thecontainer 14 permitting the air to escape therearound and out throughthe stems 22 and 24, through the opening 32 in the stem 24 in thedirection of the arrows in FIG. 4, through the tubular body of the valvemember, and through the inlet neck 13 of the balloon 12 into theinterior of the body of the balloon whereby the balloon is intlated.

In order to deflate the nozzle 40, the valve member 50 is turned to theposition shown in FIG. wherein the top half of the keyhold slot 59 isregistering with the hole 36 in the llange 34 of the steml 24. In thisposition of the parts, the compressed air passing through the stem 24passes through the opening 32 therein into the nozzle 40, through thehole 36 in the ange 34 and through the top half of the keyhold slot 59into the tubular body of the valve device and out through the narrow endthereof into the balloon 12.

In order to inflate the nozzle 40, the valve member 50 is turned to theposition shown in FIG. 6 wherein the top half of the keyhold slot 59 isin contact with a solid portion of the llange 34 on the stem 24 so thatthe compressed air passing through the stem 24 and out through theopening 32 therein passes into the interior of the nozzle 40 therebyinllating the same.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as delinedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a resilient toy balloon having an inlet, apparatusfor inflating said balloon including a container having air underpressure, said container having an outlet, and means for releasing airthrough said outlet and for connecting the balloon to the outlet, saidmeans including a hollow cylindrical stern attached to one end to theoutlet, a plunger movable in said stem extending into the container forreleasing the contents thereof, means outwardly of the stem foractuating said plunger, another hollow cylindrical stem operativelyconnected to the first-named hollow stem midway the ends thereof, saidlatter stem having an outlet, a conicalshaped nozzle rotatably supportedon said second-named stem with its narrow end insertable in the inlet ofthe balloon, said nozzle including a valve means coacting with thesecond stem, said valve means being adjustable to feed air into allexible sealable chamber of said nozzle and for controlling the passageof air through the outlet in the second-named stem and the nozzleoperable by turning the nozzle.

2. The combination as called for by claim 1 wherein the nozzle isdeflatable, and wherein the second-named stemI has an annular angetherearound adjacent the outlet in the second stem, said flange having ahole therethrough, said valve means including a circular end platesupported on the second-named stem, said circular plate having a holeadapted to register, upon turning of the nozzle, with the hole in theflange for controlling the passage of air through the nozzle fordellating said nozzle.

3. The combination as called for by claim 1 wherein the nozzle isinflatable and deatable and wherein the second-named stem has an annularange therearound adjacent the outlet therein, said valve means includinga circular end plate supported on the second-named stem, the outlet inthe second-named stem communicating with the interior of the nozzle,said circular end plate of the valve means adapted to be moved intocontact with the flange whereby the air transmitted through the secondstem passes through the outlet in the second-named stem into the nozzlechamber for inating the nozzle.

4. In combination with a container having air under pressure and havingan outlet, a resilient toy balloon having a neck for an inlet, apparatusinterposed between the outlet in the container and the neck of theballoon for inilating the balloon, said apparatus including a castinghaving a vertical hollow cylindrical stem having one end operativelyconnected to the outlet, the other end being closed, said other endhaving a central opening therein, a plunger movable through said openinginto the hollow stem and through the outlet into the container forreleasing the contents of the container, means outwardly of the closedend of the hollow stem for manually actuating said plunger, said castinghaving a horizontal hollow cylindrical stem having one end communicatingwith the interior of the vertical stem midway the ends thereof, saidhorizontal stem being closed at the other end thereof, said horizontalstem having an opening adjacent the closed end, an annular flange on thehorizontal stem adjacent the opening therein, said ange having a holetherein, a resilient conical hollow nozzle rotatably supported on thehorizontal stem inwardly of the llange thereon and forming an extensionof the stem, a valve device inside the nozzle and connected at one endto the second-named stern inwardly of the opening therein and connectedat its other end at the narrow end of the nozzle, the connection at saidone end including a circular plate sleeved around the second-namedstern, said circular plate having a hole therein adapted to registerwith the hole in the ange upon movement of the nozzle, for dellating thenozzle, and adapted to be moved into contact with a solid portion of theflange for inating the balloon and adapted to be moved into contact witha solid portion of the ilange for inating the nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,833 11/1919 Lyon 137-2231,494,709 5/1924 Roberts 137-223 2,636,315 4/1953 Morsch 46-88 2,702,9623/ 1955 De Fraites 46-87 2,816,691 12/1957 Ward Z22-402.1 3,104,0399/1963 Dike 222-548 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

